#1 post, double p90 esquire ?

[teleme01]

1st post newbie, wondering about wiring for p90 p09 tele,  rear routed for strat 1 volume 1 tone 1 blender and using the 3way or 5way for a varitone...  like esquire.  can someone please point me
in the right direction... thanks

 

[Rick]

There was a similar q this am. I'd start with the seymour duncan, dimarzio and freeway websites and peruse diagrams.

 

[ragamuffin]

Yeah I doubt that you're going to find a pre-made for that, but you might be able to combine a V-T-Blend strat diagram and combine it with an esquire switching scheme.

 

[teleme01]

Yeah I doubt that you're going to find a pre-made for that, but you might be able to combine a V-T-Blend strat diagram and combine it with an esquire switching scheme.

I think I figured it out,  p90s to blender pot,  then to esquire wiring. 

 

[TBurst Std]

Don’t know if you play live, but using a blender pot as a pup selector can be painful on the fly so to say.  It can be used live to make minor adjustments, but is not practical for true pickup changes. 

 

[Rick]

Also, two (pun intended) many switches or options gets confusing, that's why I like the freeway, 6 to 10 choices, and they are presented intuitively.  Of course, as they say, YMMV.  I have  a tele with a 5 way switch and a 3 way toggle, and having 15 ways to get 9 different sounds is interesting, but not much utility.

 

[teleme01]

Don’t know if you play live, but using a blender pot as a pup selector can be painful on the fly so to say.  It can be used live to make minor adjustments, but is not practical for true pickup changes.

perhaps a blender isnt what i am looking for,  i am looking to go from A gradually all the way to B,  i  am thinking there would be less noise and more control of blend.  and no ,  unfortunately never get to play live.

 

[TBurst Std]

What you describe as intended use is what a blender pot does.

 

[stratamania]

It seems two things are being conflated here.

An Esquire varitone is used on a guitar with one pickup and the switch is used to switch between different cap values hence the term varitone.

A blend pot is usually used for example on a three pickup strat, with volume, tone and blender pot. The pickups connect to a selector switch as does the blend pot which then allows you to for example blend in a certain amount of bridge pickup when in neck position or vice versa. But the selector is still needed for pickup connectivity and normal selection.

So now if you have two P90s & a Tele pickup with  1 volume 1 tone 1 blender you will need the selector switch for selection and blend so there is nowhere on the switch to dedicate to varitone.

Perhaps consider using a switch to get the pickup selections you are looking for such as a super switch or Freeway and having master volume and tone and then use the other space instead of for tone or blender for a rotary switch that can switch in different cap values to the tone pot if that is something that you need.

 

[teleme01]

It seems two things are being conflated here.

An Esquire varitone is used on a guitar with one pickup and the switch is used to switch between different cap values hence the term varitone.

A blend pot is usually used for example on a three pickup strat, with volume, tone and blender pot. The pickups connect to a selector switch as does the blend pot which then allows you to for example blend in a certain amount of bridge pickup when in neck position or vice versa. But the selector is still needed for pickup connectivity and normal selection.

So now if you have two P90s & a Tele pickup with  1 volume 1 tone 1 blender you will need the selector switch for selection and blend so there is nowhere on the switch to dedicate to varitone.

Perhaps consider using a switch to get the pickup selections you are looking for such as a super switch or Freeway and having master volume and tone and then use the other space instead of for tone or blender for a rotary switch that can switch in different cap values to the tone pot if that is something that you need.

thanks Stratamania,  i have been reading the forum for over a year and you seem  most knowledgeable with wiring,  if i sound like a know nothing about it,  its because i am... I will definitely have someone wire it for me. I was thinking i could bypass the pickup selector and use a blend pot to sweep between the 2 p90s,  however if you suggest using the 3 way and a rotary switch,  then I will lean that way...  I am still a month or 2 out from getting the body so I have plenty of time to plan.

Thinline Body, Hollow, Walnut/Walnut, Right-Handed ,Rear Rout, P90,P90,1 F-Hole, Strat® Controls Volume 1, Tone 1, Tone 2, Blade Switch, 7/8" (22mm) Side Jack Hole, Tremolo Gotoh 510 Tremolo, Standard 4-bolt

 

[TBurst Std]

What you put forth is what I thought you meant an offered caution.

Use a blade or toggle switch for pup selection. 

As far as the “varitone” aspects, you haven’t detailed what you want to specifically accomplish. I mean something more detailed than “more tones”. 

Depending on your response a blender pot, multi position pot etc may not be your best course

Simply say what you are tying to accomplish, saying “esquire” or “varitone” is not sufficient. 

FYI. Esquire switching has 3 options  1 bypassing all controls, 2 using both to e and vol pots, 3 using vol but bypassing tone pot for a specific cap.

Again share what it is you desire to truly accomplish. Think of it with practical usability. (IE: a fixed cap in a circuit in an Esquire wiring makes sense for a bridge pup only)

 

[TBurst Std]

And I say that out of love and experience.  I had an ES347 with a varitone. Darn thing was useless in all positions but 2;; but unless you wanted a suckier tone.

 

[TBurst Std]

In addition, remember that Leo wired it that way ONLY to simulate a neck pup.
Why? So you could flick a switch rather than use the tone knob (which would accomplish the same thing).

Even then, Leo understood, to make quick tonal changes, (such as bridge to neck pup), a switch is best.  As he didn’t have a neck pup, he hardwired a cap to simulate one on a switch rather than using a knob.

 

[teleme01]

And I say that out of love and experience.  I had an ES347 with a varitone. Darn thing was useless in all positions but 2;; but unless you wanted a suckier tone.
[/quote]

thank for your love tburst,,, in all sincerity.  What my plan is is to have a neck p90 with jazzmaster tone and bridge p90 with pearly gates tone.  with the varitone,  i want to have maybe 3 different resistor values.  as you said,  only 2 of the settings were what you like,  but that is twice as many as you would of had...  i know i will mostly use 1 position but would like to dial in the one i like...

I am leaning toward Fralin and i know they would know which resistors would work best with their pickups, however i dont think they will custom make me a loaded pickguard with what i want,  really would like to get a prewired pickguard.

 

[ragamuffin]

thank for your love tburst,,, in all sincerity.  What my plan is is to have a neck p90 with jazzmaster tone and bridge p90 with pearly gates tone.  with the varitone,  i want to have maybe 3 different resistor values.  as you said,  only 2 of the settings were what you like,  but that is twice as many as you would of had...  i know i will mostly use 1 position but would like to dial in the one i like...

I am leaning toward Fralin and i know they would know which resistors would work best with their pickups, however i dont think they will custom make me a loaded pickguard with what i want,  really would like to get a prewired pickguard.

P90 with jazzmaster tone? p90 with pearly gates tone? What?

A p90 will sound like a p90... Unless you're talking about getting a jazzmaster or pearly gates style pickup that's just shaped like a p90

 

[teleme01]

HUM-CANCELLING P90 WITH ALNICO RODS are Fralin P90 with Jazzmaster jangle...  Porter has something similar called A90s

I dont know which p90 will get me close to a pearly gate tone...

 

[ragamuffin]

HUM-CANCELLING P90 WITH ALNICO RODS are Fralin P90 with Jazzmaster jangle...  Porter has something similar called A90s

I dont know which p90 will get me close to a pearly gate tone...

Ok, yes an alnico pole p90 will be get you closer to Fender-y tones

Mini humbuckers will fit in a p90 mount and some winders make minis that sound more like a full sized humbucker. To get your Pearly Gates tone you might check out Rio Grande pickups "Baby Barbeque" or "Baby Texas" pickups https://www.riograndepickups.com/single-mini-humbuckers-for-guitar or Zhangbucker's "Mini PAF" http://www.zhangbucker.com/minis.html

It kind of begs the question though; why build a custom guitar with p90 routes if you're looking for jazzmaster and humbucker tones?

 

[stratamania]

Thanks for the earlier comment.

As I explained in my earlier post the wiring you suggested is trying to combine two ideas that will not work.

It kind of begs the question though; why build a custom guitar with p90 routes if you're looking for jazzmaster and humbucker tones?

This...

I really wonder as TBurst also mentioned what are you trying to achieve with pickups and switching?

If you want a Pearly Gates tone, why not just get a Pearly Gates humbucker or single coil size Red Devil from Seymour Duncan for example. Why be constrained by a P90 shape or rout?

 

[teleme01]

 

[/quote].

I really wonder as TBurst also mentioned what are you trying to achieve with pickups and switching?

If you want a Pearly Gates tone, why not just get a Pearly Gates humbucker or single coil size Red Devil from Seymour Duncan for example. Why be constrained by a P90 shape or rout?
[/quote]

1st let me say I am not a professional builder,  just a shmuck  :binkybaby: with wild ideas,  and there are so many options.  I wanted a thinline tele,  so i ordered the rear routed walnut thinline with p90 routes, 510 tremolo and strat controls.  now i wait the 3 months.

I had contemplated routing paranormal for jazzmasters which warmoth said could be done,  then i learned of Fralins noise canceling alnico p90 which was a route offered in the builder.  I have a 335 build with 2 pearly gates, I like it but wanted something different.

Ideally i would like to find a US wiring guru (920d) who will custom wire a PP-strat pickguard and not force me to buy off the shelf.  basically a varitone with caps to match the p90 pickups and not  a varitone built for a gibson 345.  i dont need  6 different settings,  maybe 2 or 3 and bypass.

i want  i want i want. ... but will probably end up settling for something less.

 

[TBurst Std]

You say something different.

Different how tonally?